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Google Free Zone aims at connecting developing countries

Google has launched a new service designed to get users in developing countries to access its core offerings.

Dubbed Free Zone, the service is launching first in the Philippines starting today. Users in that country will be able to access Google Search, Gmail, and Google+ from their mobile devices without incurring any data charges.

In an interview with Reuters published today, Google product manager AbdelKarim Mardini said that the service is designed to take aim "at the next billion users on the Internet, many of whom will be in emerging markets and encounter the Internet first on a mobile … Read more

T-Mobile boosts 4G coverage in attempt to lure iPhone users

T-Mobile today added Baltimore, Houston, and Washington, D.C. to the list of U.S. cities served by 4G (HSPA+) on its faster 1900 network.

"As a part of our $4 billion plan to transform our network, T-Mobile continues to strengthen an already fast and competitive 4G experience in major metro areas across the country by installing new equipment and retuning our 4G airwaves to work with more devices," T-Mobile USA Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said in a statement today.

One of the devices that the carrier specifically highlighted to get the faster 4G coverage is the … Read more

Samsung to ape Nike in corporate makeover -- report

Samsung has enlisted Scott Bedbury, a freelance brand consultant that helped Nike develop several projects, to revamp its corporate identity, Australia-based Channel News reports.

Samsung plans to unveil its new corporate identity in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

According to Channel News, the effort is expansive in its scope, and includes everything from changing Samsung's messaging to customers to eliminating its current logo and developing a new one. The company's advertising will be "linked to lifestyle activities, similar to what Nike does," a source told Channel News.

Samsung has continued to solidify … Read more

Android gains in tablets, Apple slows in third quarter, IDC says

Apple's tablet market share took a hit as consumers "sat out" the third quarter in anticipation of the iPad Mini, analyst firm IDC said. Android tablets made gains as a result.

After a strong second quarter, Apple's unit shipment growth slowed in both consumer and commercial (including education) markets, according to an IDC report published Monday.

"We believe a sizeable percentage of consumers interested in buying an Apple tablet sat out the third quarter in anticipation of an announcement about the new iPad Mini," said IDC analyst Tom Mainelli in a statement.

Apple's … Read more

Android beats iOS 5-to-1 in Q3 smartphone market share

Android commanded the worldwide smartphone market share in the third quarter, new data from research firm IDC has revealed.

With a whopping 75 percent of market share and more than 181 million smartphones shipped, Android's operating system is apparently just fine with most phone users. In a distant second place, Apple's iOS grabbed fewer than 15 percent of the world's market share.

"Android has been one of the primary growth engines of the smartphone market since it was launched in 2008," IDC Mobile Phones Research Manager Ramon Llamas said in a statement. "In every … Read more

New York Web sites remain offline following Sandy

Hurricane Sandy may have passed the Mid-Atlantic region, but its effects are still being felt online.

The storm knocked out power and caused severe flooding across the Northeastern United States. New York City power companies pulled the plug on parts of lower Manhattan yesterday, shutting down Web sites without redundant servers. Many of those data centers remained down today, and power provider Con Edison said power likely won't be restored to Manhattan for about four days.

Those in Bk and Manhattan should have power back w/in 4 days. All others in areas served by overhead lines will take … Read more

Nokia delivers Lumia 510 for emerging markets

Nokia has launched the Lumia 510 smartphone, the cheapest Windows Phone-powered smartphone from the Finnish phone giant.

Designed for emerging markets, such as India, China, South America and Asia, the entry level smartphone bridges the gap between the Nokia Asha and the top-end Lumia devices currently on sale.

Sporting a 4-inch display with a 800x480 resolution, the latest Lumia weighs only 129 grams. The device itself is powered by a Snapdragon S1 processor with 256MB of RAM and 4GB internal storage. It also includes a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, GPRS/EDGE connectivity designed for developing cellular networks, along with 802.11n … Read more

Campaigns chew on cookies to see if you watch porn

Is he one of us?

That's the question both the Romney and Obama campaigns will be asking as election time rolls near.

Every last vote will count. Every last nuance will matter in determining which candidate will steer America through the next four joyous years.

So how are the campaigns trying to identify those who might be on their side? Why, cookies.

According to the New York Times, many, many voters can look forward to calls from campaign workers who will, for once, be armed with very personal details about their targets' predilections.

The Times boldly declares that these … Read more

Facebook invokes Clint Eastwood emotions in new ad

When your CEO is slightly automatonic, you need to find positive emotions for your brand elsewhere.

Facebook decided it would go to Wieden and Kennedy, the same people who do those lovely Nike ads, in order to obtain a 90-second spot that would move you to tears.

Facebook, you see, exists to move you to tears. It's about being human, open, and connected.

Oh, and it's about $7 if you want to be sure lots of people actually see your updates.

But, no. What this ad wants to tell you is that Facebook is like chairs. Yes, empty … Read more

Gingerbread most popular Android flavor at 56 percent market share

Despite its elderly status in the Android world, Gingerbread is still the man.

Google yesterday updated its Android developers page, revealing that Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is running on 55.8 percent of all Android devices. Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) came in second place with 23.7 percent share. Interestingly, the latest Android version, Jelly Bean, was only able to muster 1.8 percent share, while the outdated Android 2.2 (Froyo) came in at 12.9 percent market ownership.

That Gingerbread is still dominant is rather surprising, considering that this version of the operating system arrived on … Read more